Public Domain from pixabayYour Marine Heads Professionals Turn You Into a Master Fisherman

Assume the Position: Two boats get in position around a rock jetty, fishing both the point and steep drop-off. Not all passes are this calm and uncrowded, especially on the weekends.

If inlets and passes are the main thoroughfares for game fish to and from the ocean, jetties represent that one exit with all the restaurants. Rocky breakwaters are a veritable buffet table for species like striped bass, flounder and redfish. Even with pesky boat traffic, ocean swells and nearby shoals, these pervasive fishing structures remain popular for boat and shore fishermen. I went to five experts to learn how they avoid common jetty blunders and out-fish their close-quarter compatriots.

Don’t Let Your Presentation Stray from the Rocks

Even when fishing off the jetty, keep your presentation close to the structure for more hookups.

Capt. Alan Pereyra, of Topp Dogg Guide Service in Galveston, Texas, targets the jetties of the Galveston Ship Channel all year long for a variety of species. The Ship Channel is one of three cuts into the Galveston system, the other two being Rollover and San Luis passes.

Depending on the tide strength, Pereyra might use a kayak anchor in light current to hold the boat in place. “For heavy current,” he says, “I’ll drop a Danforth boat anchor 20 to 30 feet from rocks, then let [rode] out to position the back of the boat close to the rocks for my customers.”

Your Marine Heads Experts Suggest That You Follow These Casting Tips

Once at the rocks, he’ll use light setups with live shrimp for a ­natural presentation. “I want the bait to flutter down toward the bottom as it flows with the current,” says Pereyra.

Don’t Handcuff Yourself to a Single Bait Species

Your marine heads specialists and most captains strongly recommend casting near the rocks.

Having a variety of baitfish in the livewell can be paramount to enticing the bite, says Capt. Jared Simonetti of Clearwater, Florida. He regularly fishes the passes from Anclote Key to the Skyway Bridge for snook in the summer months.

“During the incoming tide, I’ll use leader as light as 30-pound-test and free-line the baits along the jetty,” he says.

“These baits I send to the bottom using weighted rigs with heavier 50- to 60-pound leader,” he says. Simonetti wants the resilient baits to get down to the staging snook when the water ­visibility drops.

Don’t Forget the Jigs

“I call it the best rock pile on the coast,” says Capt. Trevor Smith of ProFishNC Charters, referencing Masonboro Inlet’s pair of jetties.

“On the last two hours of the ­outgoing, when the bait dumps out with the backwater tide, I’ll use 3- to 4-ounce 5-inch-long metal jigs,” says Smith.

Red drum and cobia are available in the springtime, with May to June hot for cobia, says Smith. August to October brings an influx of bull reds.

Don’t Stop Fishing When the Sun Goes Down

Stripers attract fishermen in droves to the jetties each spring and summer. Stay out after the sun sets and experience an even better late-night bite.

Delaware’s Inner Wall and Outer Wall skirt Cape Henlopen at the southern cape of Delaware Bay. The Harbor of Refuge Light sits atop the outer breakwater, while the East End Light marks the inner breakwater.

Capt. Chuck Cook, of First Light Charters in nearby Lewes, Delaware, heads to these hot spots when the moon shines bright at night. “Bluefish take over in the evening and morning hours, but it’s a 100 percent striped bass bite at night,” he says.

Visit us at http://www.raritaneng.com/ and see how Raritan Engineering always has more information on marine heads and on these four amazing fishing tips.

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About Us

Raritan Engineering Company, Inc. was founded in 1958 on the basis of the Patent for the PH Marine Toilet. Its successor, the PHII is still manufactured by Raritan. The Crown Head, the world’s first macerating Marine Toilet followed in 1966.

The first small on-board waste treatment system came in 1974. The pursuit of innovation has continued over the years, with numerous patents and marine product improvements.